The Chicago Bears travel to Philly tonight to play the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. The game is scheduled for an 8:30 pm kickoff and it will be televised nationally on ESPN. The Eagles, sitting at 3-4 on the season, are favored by 8 points with the total set at 47. Philly is a game under .500 this season and has struggled at home, losing two of their three games this season. Chicago enters tonight's contest with a 4-3 record but they are just 1-2 on the road this season. Andy Reid's team struggled at the beginning of the season, jumping out to a 1-4 record. They have rebounded quite nicely with two straight wins over good opponents in Washington and Dallas. The Bears are coming off a bye week but have also won two straight games heading into tonight's contest.
Free Analysis: Both of these teams had major Super Bowl intentions prior to the start of the season and neither has played up to their potential. Both clubs are currently in a 2-game winning streak and one of those will come to an end tonight. Philly, ironically, has not done so well at home this season with just a 1-2 record but their two losses were to Buffalo and San Fransisco. This game, like most in football, should be won in the trenches. The Eagles are the top team in the league at running the football, with just under 180 yards per game. The Bears defend the run pretty well, holding opponents under 110 per game, good for 11th in the league. Chicago really stiffened defensively in their last two games, which were wins over Tampa Bay and Minnesota. They held both clubs to less than 85 yards rushing combined in those games. The Eagles, however, are powered by running back LeShean McCoy, who averages an NFL-high 107.7 and has scored at least one touchdown in every game. Philadelphia's defense played considerably better in their last two games. Each game saw the Eagles hold their opponent under 300 yards of total offense. Chicago has won three of the last four meetings between these clubs, including 31-26 last season and 19-16 in their last matchup in Philadelphia way back in 2007. Mike Vick doesn't seem to like playing the Bears, either. He's never beaten Chicago in three games as a starter and has never ran into the end zone against them. He's been sacked 15 times and thrown three interceptions against Chicago in his career.
Free Pick: The total is a bit odd for a team favored by 8 points. I think the Eagles are playing at a very high level right now, but the Bears have been dominating against the run the last couple of weeks before their bye. The 8 points is more than one possession as every team in the NFL kicks extra points and the history of Vick against the Bears isn't exactly pretty. All of those things considered, the Bears look like a decent choice this week especially after Philly's blowout win over Dallas last week. Give me the Bears and the 8 points.
Free Picks: Bears at Eagles Betting
Over reaction to Eagles Blowout Win and Unders 14-4 After Bye? plus other factors NFL bettors need to know about Bears at Eagles (Monday, November 7, 2011) from Pregame.com - Including predictions from Marco D'Angelo and analysis from host RJ Bell.